For most of his life, Wah Soe prayed for a way to leave the harsh conditions to the refugee camp. Now in the United States, he’s working hard to make the most of his opportunities.

Wah was born in a Thai refugee camp called Nu Poe. He lived there with his parents and his older brother, Gabluh. Although Wah had many friends there, life in camp was tough. Wah couldn’t go to school and had to earn money by racing animals, like pigs and chickens. Desperate to escape the camp, he would pray for a way to come to the United States.

His prayers were answered when his family was accepted for resettlement in 2012. After going through interviews and medical checkups, Wah finally left the camp and took a plane to St. Paul, Minnesota. Wah became very depressed when he first arrived in the United States. He didn’t speak any English and had to learn about an entirely new culture.

Things started to improve once Wah started going to school. Currently a high school senior, Wah is very active in his school’s youth leadership program and drama club. After going to college to study political science, he hopes to get involved with human rights organizations and eventually get into politics. Wah dreams of opening an orphanage in Thailand and establishing a Karen radio station.